World
The term world refers to Terraria's virtual world system which all of the gameplay takes place in. The world holds the entirety of the game content, such as items, enemies, objects, and so on. Terraria worlds are two-dimensional and navigated in a platform game-like manner. World appearance is subject to some settings.
The term map is partly synonymous with world but also refers to the minimap, the in-game map system.
Selection
After selecting a character to play with, the player will enter the world selection menu, where they select a world to enter.
In the menu, the following stats and features of a world are listed: name, (Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) icon, difficulty, size, and creation time.
When a Journey Mode(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) character is selected, all non-Journey Mode worlds will be dimmed out and listed at the end of the world list, and vice versa. Still selecting these worlds will result in following messages:
- Journey Mode character to non-Journey worlds: "Only Non-Journey characters may enter a Non-Journey world."
- Non-Journey Mode character to Journey worlds: "Only Journey characters may enter a Journey world."
Several options are presented for an existing world:
- Play: enter and play in this world.
- (Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) Favorite / Unfavorite: mark or unmark this world as favorite. Favorited worlds will be listed at the front of the world list, and cannot be deleted.
- Move to cloud / Move off cloud: move the world to or off Steam Cloud. Worlds saved in Steam Cloud can be accessed on different devices.
- (Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) Copy Seed: view and copy the seed of this world.
- (Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) Rename: change the name of the world.
- Delete: delete the world.
World icons
Each world will have a world icon that depicts its contents and progression, which is shown in the world selection menu. Worlds created with secret world seeds will also have unique world icons. Worlds in which the Moon Lord was defeated gain a special golden border around their world icon, indicating the completion of player progression.
All regular world icons:
Creation and access
Creation
World creation is accessed by pressing the "New" button in the world selection menu. This presents the player with a multitude of customization options:
Option | Description ( Desktop 1.4.0.1) |
---|---|
World name | Give your world a name! You can always change it later if needed! Randomize your world's name. |
World seed | The DNA marker that defines your world's specific shape and traits. Randomize your world's seed. |
World size | |
Small | |
Small / Expanded | Ideal for a quick, single player experience. |
Medium | Bigger and better for prolonged exploration, or bringing a friend. |
Large | Super-sized for long term progression and multiple players. |
Difficulty | |
Journey(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) | With great power comes great responsibility (Unearth your creativity) |
Classic | Your Adventure Begins... (The Standard Terraria Experience) |
Expert(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) | Fortune & Glory, Kid. (Far Greater Difficulty & Loot) |
Master(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) | Game over man, game over! (Brutally hard, for the truly brave) |
Evil biome | |
Random | Let nature decide whether corruption or crimson infects your world. |
Corruption | Disease-like corruption is guaranteed to be present in your world. |
Crimson | Macabre, grotesque crimson is guaranteed to be present in your world. |
World name and seed may be randomized by selecting the button with the icon.
World creation is finished by pressing the "Create" button. It is followed by an automated process which generates a random world (if world seed is not used). This seeks to ensure that no two worlds are identical, allowing each new world to be a somewhat new experience. The perhaps largest difference between worlds is some of them having the Corruption whereas others have the Crimson. Each of these evil biomes offer a player unique materials, enemies and drops.
Access
Only one world can be accessed at a given time (in similar fashion to how the player may only control one character at a time), but the player is free to create as many worlds as they can store on their device or computer. Characters are not locked to worlds (with the exception that Journey Mode(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) characters can only enter worlds on Journey difficulty), so it is, for example, possible for an end-game character to play in worlds that have not made that much progression, or to bring resources from one world to another.
Since the contents of a character's inventory, Piggy Bank, Safe, Defender's Forge(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions), and Void Vault(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) are stored with the character, the character has access to these no matter which world they visit.
A given world can be used both for single player and multiplayer. In case of the latter, the world is used to make a server (see Guide:Setting up a server).
When entering a new world, the character will appear at the world's spawn point, usually on the surface close to the horizontal mid-point of the map, with an in-game time of 8:15 AM. A character's individual spawn point can be altered using a Bed. If the player dies, or teleports using a Recall Potion, Magic Mirror/Ice Mirror(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions), or Cell Phone(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions), they will return to their spawn point.
World is typically exited through the settings option that appears when the inventory is opened (see Game controls), though this depends on game platform.
Worldgen text
During world generation, various texts appear over the loading bar, showing what is being generated in the world[1]:
Text | Generation pass name[2] | Notes |
---|---|---|
n/a | Reset | Initializes world generator at the start of the generation of each world. |
Generating world terrain | Terrain | |
Adding sand | Dunes | |
Generating ocean sand | Ocean Sand | |
n/a | Sand Patches | |
n/a | Tunnels | |
Generating hills | Mount Caves | |
Putting dirt behind dirt | Dirt Wall Backgrounds | |
Placing rocks in the dirt | Rocks In Dirt | |
Placing dirt in the rocks | Dirt In Rocks | |
Adding clay | Clay | |
Making random holes | Small Holes | |
Generating small caves | Dirt Layer Caves | |
Generating large caves | Rock Layer Caves | |
Generating surface caves | Surface Caves | |
Generating wavy caves | Wavy Caves | Only in The Constant(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) seed. |
Adding snow | Generate Ice Biome | |
n/a | Grass | |
Generating jungle | Jungle | |
Adding more grass | Mud Caves To Grass | |
Desertification | Full Desert | |
Generating floating islands | Floating Islands | |
Adding mushroom patches | Mushroom Patches | |
Chiseling marble | Marble | |
Growing granite | Granite | |
Placing mud in the dirt | Dirt To Mud | |
Adding silt | Silt | |
Adding shinies | Shinies | |
Adding webs | Webs | |
Creating underworld | Underworld | |
Making the world evil Making the world bloody |
Corruption | Depends on the world evil. |
Adding water bodies | Lakes | |
n/a | Dungeon | |
n/a | Slush | |
Generating mountain caves | Mountain Caves | |
Creating beaches | Beaches | |
Adding gems | Gems | |
Gravitating sand | Gravitating Sand | |
Forming the depths | Create Ocean Caves | |
n/a | Shimmer | |
Cleaning up dirt backgrounds | Clean Up Dirt | |
n/a | Pyramids | See Pyramid § Generation for details. |
n/a | Dirt Rock Wall Runner | |
n/a | Living Trees | See Living Tree § Generation for details. |
n/a | Wood Tree Walls | |
Placing altars | Altars | |
n/a | Wet Jungle | |
Creating jungle ruins | Jungle Temple | |
Creating hornet nests | Hives | |
n/a | Jungle Chests | |
Settling liquids | Settle Liquids | |
n/a | Remove Water From Sand | |
n/a | Oasis | |
n/a | Shell Piles | |
Smoothing the world | Smooth World | |
Creating waterfalls | Waterfalls | |
n/a | Ice | |
Weathering caverns | Wall Variety | |
Placing life crystals | Life Crystals | |
Placing statues | Statues | |
Hiding treasure | Buried Chests | |
Hiding more treasure | Surface Chests | |
Hiding jungle treasure | Jungle Chests Placement | |
Hiding water treasure | Water Chests | |
Growing spider caves | Spider Caves | |
Growing spider caves | Gem Caves | |
Mossification | Moss | |
n/a | Temple | |
Making cave walls | Cave Walls | |
Growing rich mahogany | Jungle Trees | |
n/a | Floating Island Houses | |
n/a | Quick Cleanup | |
Placing breakables | Pots | |
Placing hellforges | Hellforge | |
Spreading grass | Spreading Grass | |
n/a | Surface Ore and Stone | |
Felling trees | Place Fallen Log | |
Placing traps | Traps | Replaced by "Not placing traps" in No traps(Desktop, Console and Mobile versions) worlds. |
Placing objects | Piles | |
n/a | Spawn Point | |
n/a | Grass Wall | |
n/a | Guide | |
Planting sunflowers | Sunflowers | |
Planting trees | Planting Trees | |
Planting herbs | Herbs | |
n/a | Dye Plants | |
n/a | Webs And Honey | |
Planting weeds | Weeds | |
n/a | Glowing Mushrooms and Jungle Plants | |
n/a | Jungle Plants | |
Growing vines | Vines | |
Planting flowers | Flowers | |
Planting mushrooms | Mushrooms | |
n/a | Gems In Ice Biome | |
n/a | Random Gems | |
n/a | Moss Grass | |
n/a | Muds Walls In Jungle | |
n/a | Larva | |
Settling liquids | Settle Liquids Again | |
Growing cacti | Cactus, Palm Trees, & Coral | |
Clean up | Tile Cleanup | |
n/a | Lihzahrd Altars | |
Generating structures | Micro Biomes | |
Growing water plants | Water Plants | |
n/a | Stalac | |
Disarming broken traps | Remove Broken Traps | |
Final clean up | Final Cleanup | |
Finalizing world |
Structure and content
Worlds are structured into layers and biomes in order to provide various content depending on the player's location. World content is also provided through a range of time-based events like invasions, nighttime, boss battles, etc. The world states of pre-Hardmode and Hardmode also determine what content is available. The world's biomes and layers, time-based events, and Hardmode are designed to gradually become accessible as the player becomes more skilled and the character stronger. This progression gameplay can pose a unique challenge in multiplayer, as one player could progress more quickly than the others, only to find themselves with a weak team during difficult battles.
World content is also dependent on game platform. Old-gen console and have exclusive content not found on other platforms, and vice-versa.
Name
During the creation of the world, the player may opt to let the game create a random name for the new world by clicking the sign icon to the left of the name field. It will then replace the text in the field with a random name that is created using the schema below. The name will never be longer than 27 characters. There is a 1/10000 (0.01%) chance for the random world name to be The Constant
.[3]
The game will pick a random composition and random adjectives, locations, and nouns from the lists below. The first two compositions are twice as likely to be picked as the others.
This content is transcluded from World/Name.
Composition | Random examples ( to generate new ones) |
---|---|
The <adjective> <location> of <noun> |
|
<Adjective> <location> of <noun> |
|
The <adjective> <location> |
|
<Adjective> <location> |
|
The <location> of <noun> |
|
<Location> of <noun> |
|
Adjectives
|
Locations
|
Nouns
|
Notes
- Worlds can be viewed and sometimes edited by third-party programs known as map viewers.
- If the player attempts to quit a world after defeating Wall of Flesh but before the Hardmode biomes are generated (i.e. before the "The ancient spirits of light and dark have been released." is displayed), the loading description "Setting hard mode"[sic] will appear and the player has to wait for the game to generate the Hardmode biomes before returning to the main menu.
- Worlds, like characters, are stored as individual files. A world has the file extension
..wld
- On Windows, they can be found in the "
%USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Terraria\Worlds
" directory. - On Android, they can be found in the "
Storage/emulated/0/Android/data/com.and.games505.TerrariaPaid/Worlds
" and can be accessed in a file browser.- Note: Android phones running Android 11 or higher will likely need an external app to access the
Storage/emulated/0/Android/data/
folder. Alternatively, it can be accessed through a separate device, such as a computer via USB.
- Note: Android phones running Android 11 or higher will likely need an external app to access the
- Windows Steam users who have their worlds moved to the Steam Cloud will find them under, for example, "
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\userdata\<userID>\105600\remote\worlds
" by default. See this Steam article for world locations in the Mac and Linux versions of the game.
- On Windows, they can be found in the "
Trivia
- The leaves of the tree icon when selecting a world will change depending on the status of the world. The left half will always represent the world's naturally spawned evil biome, while the right will be a pure Forest tree. In some secret world seeds, both evil biomes will be native to the world, resulting in a tree that is both Corrupt and Crimson with no pure representation. In Hardmode, the bottom right quarter and half of the left branch will turn yellow, representing The Hallow.
- Though being called the Ocean, both sides should technically be at a height of 0' (Otherwise shown on the Depth Meter as Level Surface), but both Oceans are rarely on the same elevation, and are sometimes higher up than the rest of the world.
References
- ↑ Information taken from the Desktop 1.4.4.9 source code, method
GenerateWorld()
inTerraria.WorldGen.cs
. - ↑ Each "generation pass" handles a specific portion of world structures during the world generation process. Most generation passes will display a respective text to show what is being generated. Those processed without a text are marked with n/a.
- ↑ Information taken from the Desktop 1.4.3.6 source code, method
AssignRandomWorldName()
inTerraria.GameContent.UI.States.UIWorldCreation.cs
. There may be inaccuracies, as the current Desktop version is 1.4.4.9.